UN rights chief sees rights under fire but youth offers hope
According to UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk, the current pushback on human rights had sparked a groundswell of human rights activism.
Geneva (dpa) – Human rights are underfunded and under attack and are being undermined, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk said in Geneva on Wednesday.
Türk nevertheless saw hope in the way that young people in many countries are going onto the streets and launching social media campaigns to attack corruption and repression and to demand freedom of expression.
In this regard, he specifically mentioned Nepal, Serbia, Madagascar, Kenya, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Paraguay, the Philippines, Indonesia, Tanzania, Morocco and Peru.
"I urge governments around the world to harness the energy of these social movements into opportunities for broader transformational reforms rather than rushing to suppress them or label them as extremist threats to national security," he said.
He described them as "in fact, the exact opposite of threats to national security."
Türk criticised raids on immigrants and refugees, without mentioning any specific countries.
"We are seeing violent pushbacks, large-scale raids, arrest and returns without due process, criminalization of migrants and refugees and those who support them, as well as the outsourcing of responsibilities under international law," he said.
The United States and many European Union member states are seeking to curb irregular migration through a variety of measures. These efforts have frequently drawn criticism from rights activists.